According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition
Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual. Palliative care…affirms life and regards dying as a normal process…intends neither to hasten or postpone death…. [1]
Traditional palliative care provides assistance to the dying, without being overly concerned that one’s attempts to minimize distress may lead to an earlier death.… Read the rest
Yesterday the Canadian government introduced legislation to legalize doctor assisted suicide. One commentary said, “if passed, this would allow some Canadians to kill others, with support of the state.” Christians are saying we may not cross this sacred line, for human life may not be violated. How alarmed or upset should we be about this development? Are we really crossing a sacred line?
I take it this will be the first time that federal law will support some Canadians killing others, where the Bible instructs them not to kill.… Read the rest
The following is an essay I wrote that is published in the Spring, 2016 issue of The Youth Messenger, a publication of the Free Reformed Churches of North America. Reprinted here with permission.
Is It Such A Big Deal?
A comment on smoking in the Youth Messenger on the topic of health is not that surprising. It is common knowledge that smoking is bad for your health. A good message is to avoid it, but it is not that simple. … Read the rest
Why do I talk about personhood? Personhood has come to be part of the discussion of organ donation, abortion, and euthanasia. Why?
A basic definition of personhood is the state of being a person. This is important because we place special value, along with moral and legal rights and responsibilities, upon persons. So, when we want to attribute rights and responsibilities to certain people, or we want to take rights and responsibilities away from certain people, we can, in our arguments, attempt to show it is right to do so by attributing, or by not attributing, personhood to them.… Read the rest
Worldview and Ethical Issues from a Biblical Perspective
